A Touch of Spice
by Gh0StWr1teR1
Summary: Alice suspects that Hayama's feelings towards Jun, his foster mother, are a little less than wholesome so when she suggests that they pretend to be an item he is more than a little confused... What is Alice's ulterior motive? (Set after mid-autumn festival)((shouldn't contain anime spoilers)) Main Characters: Nakiri Alice, Hayama Akira, Kuroshiba Ryou, Shiomi Jun-undecided pairings
1. Chapter 1

"NO, no, no no no!" cried Alice, jumping up and down to express her disapproval. Hayama sighed audibly, gone where the days of politely supressing his own display of exasperation. This woman was INSANE. He rubbed his temples, painfully watching the woman before him pout childishly and continue to stream a seemingly unstoppable dialogue. How did she find the time to breathe? Hayama gave a sideways glance towards Ryou, his previous chief competitor now temporary team member, who currently stared listlessly into the distance, wearing the face of a man who gave up long ago.

"Look, the menu is set. This is still technically Shiomi Seminar's booth, it's obvious we're serving curry!" shouted Hayama, snapping once more. He quietly prided himself in staying calm and never letting his temper get the better of him, but something about this woman made him uncharacteristically hot headed.

"Professor Shiomi herself told us to work together on the menu! What's the point of me being here if you're going to serve the same, dull, old things?" reasoned Alice, now flapping the palm of her hand to accentuate her words. Hayama groaned inwardly, remembering the conversation he had a few days ago.

…

"Akira-kun! This is an important part of school life! You must cook with your friends and create irreplaceable memories! I still remember every second I spent at the Polar Star dorm… although not everything was… pleasurable…" Shiomi shuddered involuntarily remembering the dark days of being force fed Yukihira experiments. She shook her head to shoo away the dreary thoughts before continuing, "I was so happy when Alice called you a 'precious friend'! I'm so proud of you Akira-kun, you've finally found your place! You've been helping me throughout these years, it's the least I can do to make up for all the research you've done with me!" beamed Shiomi, a happy tear leaking from her eyes.

"Jun-" began Hayama reproachfully.

"Now, now they're waiting for you in the Gastronomy department! Don't be late!" cried Shiomi, cutting Hayama off and gently pushing him towards the door. Hayama turned and opened his mouth to complain, but couldn't bring himself to say the words he intended after seeing her open glee.

"I'll see you later then." He said quietly. Shiomi rested her hand on his shoulder, looking up at her adopted son with unmistakable pride.

"You've come so far, I've taught you all I know and admittedly you've taught me just as much! The only way you can move forwards now is to learn from your peers. Alice is a nice girl, so polite." Shiomi paused for a moment, before cheekily adding, "She also has lots of good connections so make sure you stay close!" Hayama looked down alarmed, blushing more from her close proximity than from her words. Shiomi laughed, "Come on! Off you go! No need to be so shy! You have my full support." She said slowly closing the door with a wink looking extremely accomplished and feeling superior, it wasn't often she caught Hayama flustered.

Hayama help his face in his hands, trying to hide his embarrassment despite the hallway being empty. A familiar heavy weight settled once more on his chest, he knew Jun only thought of him as a child, loved him like a son or older sister. He was also equally aware of the fact that making clear his romantic feelings towards her would only cause awkwardness and corrupt the one genuine relationship he had in his life.

 _You're wrong, you're wrong Jun. You are the person who makes my heart beat frantically, reddens my cheeks. You're the only person I love._ The words he wanted so desperately to say echoed emptily in his mind. It was a long walk to the Gastronomy wing, despite being a mere block away.

…

Hayama glanced up to check the time on the clock. Wow, 2am already. Thinking again… it wasn't too unexpected seeing as they only managed to start working after 8pm after bickering for three hours before hand. They had finally made some headway for organising the stall, he was currently adjusting the spices to fit the new modified recipes whilst Kurokiba worked on the newer components of the menu and Nakiri organised their presentation. They were to be positioned on the main street meaning a combination of both canapé and full meals needed to be prepared. They had five more days until the opening ceremony, and he was slightly anxious about the speed of their progress. He had faith in his own abilities, it was more of a trust and interaction issue than anything else. From experience, he knew Kurokiba would be able to keep up with the pressure he also knew they would be able to work with one another provided minimum interaction was used. It was more Nakiri that worried him, she seemed dead set of being their manager and insisted that they became a 'team' meaning they needed to 'support' one another and not simply word 'alongside' each other. Personally Hayama saw no qualms about the latter way of working, but as regrettable as it was he had started to begin thinking like Kurokiba when it came to Nakiri's ideas.

A loud buzzing tone broke their spell of concentration. Both Nakiri and Kurokiba became completely different people in an instant. Kurokiba who was until a second ago submerged in his 'Beserk' mode was suddenly back to his usually listless non-cooking self, headband once more around his arm, and Nakiri who was displaying regal control and dangerous concentration was frantically buzzing around the kitchen trying to find her phone to stop the high-pitched, twinkling, girly alarm. Hayama couldn't help but find them an amusing pair, Kurokiba with his split personality and Nakiri with her drastic mood swings.

"Ryou! Quickly, you need to buy the seafood we're going to use today. The markets are opening in a few hours!" said Nakiri excitedly, efficiently packing away the utensils she was using. Hayama checked the clock again, 2:30am the markets only opened at 7am what was she on about? "Ryou helps out with the fishermen, they're always saying that they're in need of young, fit workers so I suggested Ryou to help them out every so often." Explained Nakiri, obviously noticing Hayama's perplexed expression.

"Oi! Kurokiba! Are you just letting her speak for you? Do you make any decisions on your own?!" exclaimed Hayama, still bewildered at his opponent 'team-mate's' complete obedience to Nakiri. Kurokiba simply shrugged.

"It doesn't really bother me I like the sounds of the waves and I get to exercise." Said Kurokiba walking out the door.

"Ahem" coughed Nakiri, pointedly. Kurokia paused, obviously trying to remember what this message meant.

"Goodbye Milady." He grunted before continuing to walk away.

"See you at breakfast!" she cried waving him goodbye, which he held up his hand to acknowledge he heard. Hayama also took this as an opportunity to leave, he started towards the door before he was unexpectedly greeted with resistance in the form of a small hand gripping onto his wrist with surprising tenacity. "And where do you think you might be going off to?" asked Nakiri innocently.

"Back to my dorm, do I need to ask your permission Nakiri?" sighed Hayama who was more tired than he wanted to admit.

"It's Alice! Not Nakiri (also call Ryou, Ryou!), we're _friends_ at the moment remember? That's what I told professor Shiomi, you'd better start treating me like one! You don't want to disappoint her do you? Akira-kuuuuuun" joked Alice, her grip slightly looser on his arm now she was certain he wasn't about to run away. Hayama blushed uncomfortably, he hated how she knew where to push his buttons.

"Shu-shut up, and don't call me Akira!" he stuttered, automatically leaning back as she moved closer to analyse his discomfort. He looked down to avoid her gaze, he wasn't exactly a people person and Alice didn't seem to understand personal space or she was purposely ignoring the polite distance most people allowed in conversation.

"You like Professor Shiomi don't you… and not as a younger brother?" she asked rhetorically. Hayama still refused to meet her red gaze, missing nothing. Her hand was still wrapped around his bare wrist further extenuating their differences, she was so pale impossibly pale especially against his darkly tanned skin. Everything about her seemed foreign, even her eyes were his opposite, red against green; she made him uncomfortable. While he felt so at ease talking to Jun, any conversation he had with Alice increased his blood pressure. She was definitely not healthy to be around. "Aren't you curious as to what she thinks about you? What she _really_ thinks about you?" she whispered suddenly next to his ear, she smelt so good.

"She thinks of me as a child." Said Hayama, roughly pushing Alice away at arm's length, perhaps it was a bad idea to look away, it hadn't occurred to him that she might sneak closer. "I don't appreciate you being so nosy _Alice-san_." He said quietly. "If you're finished playing games, I'll see you later." Hayama briskly strode towards the door making sure she wouldn't stop him this time. Alice simply leaned against the bench, her head tilted ever so slightly as she scrutinised his actions.

"Oh! That's right, please show me around the green houses you're growing herbs in. I thought it might be nice to get some ideas about our stall's presentation, seeing as we're using cutting edge Gastronomy I thought we should stick to the entire 'science-y, futuristic feel.' Smiled Alice, once more her more cheerful, child-like persona. Hayama frowned, feeling frustrated with her fickleness, how could she be so serious one second than suddenly shift to this? He turned his back towards her and stalked out of the kitchen. "If you're still curious about Professor Shiomi's feelings I'm still willing to help." She called after him, switching to their serious conversation once more. Hayama pretended not to hear. He was too afraid of discovering Jun's true feelings, he was too scared to confirm his suspicions, he still wanted to cling onto his groundless hope of her love delving deeper than that of a guardian.

…

Hayama stifled a yawn. He was starting to understand why Ryou appeared to constantly have dark circles under his eyes. He had about three hours of uneasy sleep before needing to drag himself out of bed and show Alice around their green houses. He didn't sleep a lot either but he felt completely emotionally drained. After taking a quick shower he made his way over to the green houses to wait for Alice, she told him to meet her at 7:15am.

Hayama checked the clock again, 7:23am, she was late. He frowned as far as he knew she was extremely punctual, at least that was one virtue she held. Part of him also agreed she was what many would deem 'beautiful' with her impossibly pale skin, good height and slim frame-wait why was he thinking about his? Superficial features had little to do with his opinion of beauty, he didn't need to fall in love with the size of a woman's chest or fashion sense. He loved Shiomi for who she was and what she had done for him, her mere presence calmed him, the smell of cinnamon.

"Akira-kun! Sorry for keeping you waiting. I bumped into Alice on her way over so we talked for a bit." Called Shiomi, snapping Hayama out of his daze. He blushed slightly, embarrassed about his train of thought seconds before, not that Jun would have every guessed what he was thinking, he couldn't help but feel like his thoughts were indecent.

"Hayama!" beamed Alice, suddenly hugging his arm affectionately. Did this woman not understand personal space at all? She must've known by now he was _not_ fond of touchy feely behaviour. He pulled back awkwardly, but jeez did she have a tight grip. Alice tugged on his arm unbalancing so that their head were at about an even level. He could feel her breath on his neck as she whispered in his ear, "Is that the expression of a proud mother?" Why did she smell so good? Her scent made his heart race.

Hayama's eyes widened in surprise, his anger quickly replaced with a confusing mixture of excitement, hope and discomfort upon seeing Jun's expression. Her smile, it was strange was it forced? Why was she averting her eyes, was that her discomfort? Countless questions ran through his head as he watched expressions he had never seen on Jun's face.

"Well! Sorry I must go! I have quite a bit of reading material for research to go through, don't want to intrude on you two either!" Shiomi laughed nervously, again wearing the strange smile. Her mixed up words only made the situation more awkward as she nervously turned to leave.

Hayama quickly straightened up, tensing his muscles yet feeling glued to the spot. He wanted to go after her and ask her what was making her act so strange. Alice let go of his arm, raising an eyebrow as she watched the professor hastily walk away.

"What did you say to Jun?!" demanded Hayama, falling back on anger as his primary emotion, he felt so confused it was simply the easiest course of action to start blaming something.

"I didn't _say_ anything. You saw her, she was completely normal before when we were walking up to you. I'll ask you again, was that the expression of a proud mother? We both know _your_ feelings but what about the professor's? I can help you find out what she _really_ thinks _._ " said Alice in a matter-of-factly tone. Hayama said nothing, Jun's face ever present in his mind. Could he allow himself to believe she was jealous?

"I'm not sure what you're playing at. You're so serious one second, meddling with Jun and I, then before I know it you're back to that superfluous personality. Pick a face will you? How can I possibly begin to trust you if you're constantly switching! Also, what could you possibly do? This is my problem, and I think I told you before. I don't appreciate you meddling." Said Hayama coldly.

"Pretend to date me." Said Alice calmly. Hayama said nothing, confused as to why she would even propose such a thing. The Nakiri family was extremely prestigious, he was quite certain she had no feelings for him so what could she possibly gain from dating an orphan?

"I still don't know what your reason for 'helping' me is, I'm not about to agree to something when I don't even know your own intentions." Said Hayama, brow furrowed. Alice tilted her head once more, mulling over his words.

"I'm not about to change my personality for you, and I'm not going to tell you my intentions either… You never told me any of your secrets so use your own brain to figure out what I'm aiming for." Said Alice coolly.

"For what reason should I even think of agreeing to your so called 'help' then?" asked Hayama almost laughing at the absurdity.

"Because you're just as curious as I am." Said Alice. Hayama narrowed his eyes, it really frustrated him how well she could read him.

"Well anyway! Give me a tour! This festival is only coming closer!" she chirped suddenly, once more excitable. Hayama resisted the urge to roll his eyes, this was definitely the most emotionally draining challenge at Totsuki so far.

Author's Note:

I hope you liked it… please comment for any feedback/ directions you'd like the story to move in.

Thanks for reading! :3


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry for the late update, you know shits bad when you start procrastinating your procrastination tasks hahaha. ANYWAY enjoy.

"So… now what." Asked Hayama, his back facing a tree trunk which Alice was also using for support.

"We'll keep trying!" cried Alice. Despite facing the other way and having his eyes closed, Hayama still envisioned the excitable girl's sparkling face full of determination. It had been three months since Alice had suggested or more pushed forward the proposition of the two of them 'going out' as part of a plan to make their real love interest jealous. The two were currently 'enjoying' a 'romantic getaway' in the Tootsuki mountain ranges, in reality Alice had called on another of what she called 'development sessions' which Hayama thought would be more appropriately called 'scheming sessions'.

Their progress so far was far from desired, albeit the most recent Tootsuki street food challenge didn't really allow much time for playing around. Somehow they miraculously survived, despite being at the bottom of the list on the first day. He still blamed Alice's poor planning skills, scratch that non-existent planning skills, and sloppy paperwork (like filling in the ordering sheets incorrectly). However, he was not one to dwell on the past they got out of the red and survived the challenge. He was thankful enough to be still attending Tootsuki Academy after their train wreck of an attempt at team work.

"My mother's celebrating her birthday soon, of course you'll be invited as my boyfriend. Of course, you'll need a suit and I'll invite Jun as well…" Piped up Alice, successfully breaking his peace and enjoyment of the early spring breeze. She continued to chat, seemingly fully content with her one sided monologue which he his mind had now registered as background noise. Hayama opened his mouth to reply something along the lines of how they should stop this game, but simply sighed audibly instead. His brain was sensibly telling him to get out of this situation before something actually bad happened, but something stopped him from voicing his logical concerns.

"How long are we going to do this?" he asked at length, finally opening his eyes. Alice was quite for a moment he turned his head to better catch a look at her expression. She was uncharacteristically slumping so that her hair obscured her face.

"I never thought you were one to give up." She challenged, but her voice lacked lustre. Alice curled up further as she brought her knees to her chest. "As long as it takes." She said eventually sighing.

Hayama grimaced, turned out her unrequited love wasn't actually that cryptic, it was in fact the same person who had been following her as an aide for years. "Are you sure he needs any encouragement? Ryou follows you like a dog and does anything you ask of him!" exclaimed Hayama, slightly frustrated with her seemingly perfect disposition for a relationship with the guy she liked. They were the same age, had been friends for years, even her mother seemed to approve of them! It seemed as though she had none of the complications that swarmed his own unrequited love.

"Yes, yes he does. He does anything I ask of him. That's why I need him to make the first move." She said quietly, her voice almost carried away with the light breeze rustling the leaves through the tree tops. Hayama shifted his position so he once faced the trickling stream ahead of them, no longer watching the downcast girl. It was easy to feel resentment towards Alice, she appeared to have everything handed over on a silver platter to her, quite literally, it was also easy to forget that perfect people had problems too.

…

Hayama frowned at his reflection, pulling at his dress shirt's collar uncomfortably. He had never worn a suit before and was quite frankly fearful that he would somehow ruin the designer garment which cost more than most likely all of his possessions put together.

"Ah! You're still in here!" cried Alice, popping her head around the doorway. She walked towards him, partially lifting her lilac gown as she stepped. "You're tie is crooked." She grumbled, swiftly undoing his own amateur knot and retying the light blue silk. His suit was a dark, greyish blue colour as, according to Alice, black would not compliment his skin colour.

"Milady, your mother was asking for you." Came Ryou's drawl from the door way. Unlike Hayama he did wear a black suit, his tie frustratingly well knotted. Hayama couldn't help but feel a surge of competitiveness, ever since the autumn election he had been silently comparing their skills not expecting the 'beserk chef' to be more adept to formal attire than himself. He couldn't help but admit Ryou brushed up well, with his hair combed back comfortably leaning against the doorway in an expensive suit as if it were his second skin. It made Hayama feel even more self-conscious and out of place as he was tugging at his collar in discomfort only moments before hand.

"Ok, I'll be there soon." She replied, now pinning a purple orchid onto Hayama's suit. "You jealous?" she beamed, lightly shaking her wrist fashioning a corsage of the same flowers to accentuate their 'couple-i-ness'. Ryou lifted his gaze previously directed at the carpet to see what Alice was hinting towards.

"Not really, should I be?" he asked, completely deadpan. Hayama inwardly flinched for Alice's benefit at his completely apathetic reply. To his admiration Alice simply pulled of her typical child-like expressions.

"You're mean!" she pouted, hand on hip to pointedly show her dissatisfaction. Ryou simply grunted and turned to walk down the corridor. Hayama watched Alice carefully as her disguise of mock disapproval slowly fell into sincere hurt. In some ways this deal seemed to be working more in Hayama's favour more than Alice's, much to his surprise. He could safely say Jun's reactions to Alice's advancements were definitely leaning towards jealousy. However Ryou made no signs of envy. In fact his entire interest in their relationship seemed to be on par with his reaction to hearing to weather forecast. As if he really didn't care who Alice spent her time with.

"Are you ok?" he asked tentatively. Alice surprised him by returning his worried gaze with a beam.

"Hahaha, I knew you were a tsundere! I'm fine, I'm fine sheesh, as if that would set me back!" she smiled, tapping his nose affectionately. Hayama jerked back, blushing profusely and bringing up his hand as if to protect his nose, slightly shocked at her ability to bounce back.

"Shall we just go?" he coughed, not sure if he could stand being alone in the same room with Alice for any longer. She completely exhausted him with her impulsive actions and mood swings, bringing him on a roller coaster of emotions, jumping from pity to admiration to shock. Alice nodded, once more wearing a calm, almost regal smile. She held up an arm, waiting for Hayama to offer his own to guide her out of the room.

…

"Ahh! Akiri-kun, long time we meet has been!" cried Alice's mother in broken Japanese. "I've been talking to your foster mother Jun! We're already great friends!" she continued animatedly. Hayama looked down in alarm spotting Jun collapsed in a chair beside the birthday girl, looking completely exhausted. Jun, like him was not used to parties and was easily tired from interacting with the bubbly Nakiri family. "Come closer!" she gestured for Hayama to bend. Slightly bewildered he complied, crying out in shock when she pinched his cheek.

"Mother!" exclaimed Alice, puffing up her cheek annoyed. Leonara laughed merrily.

"Such luscious, beautiful young men here!" she laughed, winking flirtatiously at Hayama's shock. "Make sure to enjoy yourself! Don't be shy and take Alice for a dance." she smiled, patting his shoulder affectionately from where she sat. "Or take me instead!" she added as an afterthought, one finger placed on her chin elegantly as she looked up at the blushing teenager. Hayama could definitely see Alice's charm was inherited.

"No! My first dance must be with Ryou! It's a tradition!" cried Alice against her mother's suggestion. She bounced towards her aide, with an admirable spring in her step despite wearing, what Hayama viewed as hazardous, high heels. She latched into his arm, pulling him towards the dance floor excitedly. Ryou let himself be dragged, taking his steps slowly to show his lack of enthusiasm.

"You have your date, shouldn't you be dancing with Hayama instead?" he asked exasperated. Alice pulled a face.

"But I can dance with him all night! It's a tradition for my first dance to be with you!" she wined, pouting childishly as she repeated herself. Ryou simply sighed and followed her towards the music and other spinning couples on the dance floor.

Hayama watched them in surprise, Ryou was surprisingly good at dancing. They seemed to match each other perfectly as Ryou guided her through their waltz becoming a lithe black frame so Alice appeared as a delicate lilac flower as she spun in time with the music.

"Good aren't they." Smiled Alice's mother, breaking Hayama from his reverie.

"Y-yes, I didn't know Ryou could dance." He admitted.

"Alice has been making him learn ever since he stepped on her foot during their first dance together. In my memories I recall… that was my birthday as well! The spring, Ryou endlessly said yes Alice's offer and became her aide." Alice's mother smiled, reminiscing. Another problem when talking to Leonara was trying to decipher her cryptic Japanese, unlike most people learning a new language Alice's mother dove straight in with complicated words and strange phrases before familiarising herself with simple constructions, as if embarrassment wasn't even a factor to be considered.

Hayama looked down at the polished wooden floor, feeling even more like a stranger. Who was he to pretend to be Alice's partner when her soul mate was so obviously guiding her through a dance. What was the point of this stupid arrangement, and more importantly why was he feeling so dejected? He didn't house any romantic intentions towards Alice, in fact he actively supported her relationship with Ryou! He loved Jun, he loved Jun, he loved Jun.

Hayama looked up, immediately calming himself by watching Jun's slightly sleeping face. Yes, he definitely loved Jun.

"Oh, she's walking away. How rude after she promised a dance with you." Came Leonara's voice. Hayama snapped up his head blushing slightly, hoping nobody watched him gazing at his foster mother. His embarrassment quickly turned to confusion, as he watched Alice stride away, abandoning Ryou, walking towards the balcony, her lilac dress streaming dramatically behind her. Ryou stood in the middle of the dance floor for a few moments before turning on his heels, stalking in the opposite direction to Alice towards the hallway. "Follow her." Pleaded Leonara, with a knowing look in her eyes. "My daughter puts on many fronts, but behind it all is a little girl reaching out for acceptance." Hayama nodded, hastily following after the pale girl.

He found her leaning on the stone balcony, her pale skin almost luminescent in the moon's pale rays. Her eyes which usually pierced him in a red glare seemed translucent from the side.

"Your eyes are really beautiful in the moonlight." He said, shocking himself as the words left his mouth. Alice smiled sadly.

"They're not red, you mean." She stated flatly.

"Ahh, t-that's not really what I m-" he stuttered before she cut him off.

"My eyes are red in the light from a lack of colour. That's pretty much what albinism is, a lack of c-" Alice stopped talking, trying to muffle a cry which seemingly arose from nowhere.

"D-don't cry!" cried Hayama lamely, stepping towards the trembling girl, feeling completely helpless at her tears.

"H-he really d-doesn't care." She hiccupped, trying to brush away her tears and sniffling daintily as she tried to hold back her cries. Hayama bit his lip, uncertain of what to do. He slowly closed the gap between them awkwardly bringing the trembling girl into an uncomfortable embrace. He felt somewhat guilty for her tears. As if watching the pair closer on the dancefloor could have somehow prevented their argument. Alice began to cry in earnest, pushing her face into his shoulder and grabbing his shirt as she wailed. Hayama slowly brought his arms down, resting his hands on her waist as she cried, feeling her warm tears soak into his shirt.

"Don't say that." He whispered. Feeling numb.

"I-I know it's p-pathetic of me, a-asking you to comfort me. I-I mean my love p-problems a-are nothing c-compared to l-living in a slum o-or surviving any h-hardships, b-but i-it really h-hurts." She stammered, her words muffled by his shirt. Hayama awkwardly patted her back, normally he would scoff at any request from Alice to comfort her. A rich girl with everything in life at her disposal. He had directed many emotions towards her, disgust, annoyance, anger, frustration, admiration… but up until now, up until he had held her trembling in his arms, had he never once pitied her.

Thanks so much for reading! :3

We really need more fanfics with Alice and Ryou! Souma and Erina get enough screen time from the actual manga anyways!


	3. Chapter 3

Kurokiba took Alice's hand and placed his own on her waist, looking over her right shoulder. Alice beamed as she placed her hand on his left shoulder, nodding slightly to incline she was ready. He led her through a calm waltz, gracefully swerving past the other partners on the dance floor. He'd come to enjoy dancing over the years, not that he'd ever admit that to his partner, the simplicity of holding another, walking in step, breathing and thinking as one, perfectly synced.

"Do you remember the first time we danced?" asked Alice lightly, as they turned and stepped in time with the music.

"Yes, I do." Replied Kurokiba, not expanding on the statement. Most of their conversations were primarily one sided, a habit neither had tried nor desired to change.

"It was a few days after you won our first cooking match," she continued, "I thought you stepped on my foot to tease me! I laughed so hard when it turned out you just had two left feet!" she laughed. Kurokiba said nothing, he didn't need to Alice could read his expressions better than the words he could articulate. The slight twitch in his jaw was indication enough of his slight annoyance.

"You're so obsessed with beauty you're yet to convince me you have the disposition of a professional chef, perhaps you should have chosen a career as a dancer." He countered. Alice lifted an eyebrow at his challenge.

"Shall we have a Shokugeki to settle that?" she asked coolly. Stepping back ostentatiously, her heels clicking audibly on the wooden dance floor.

"I decline." He replied huskily, following her sudden movement with practised ease. Their faces pulled closer from the large steps both had taken from Alice's shift in tempo.

"Oh? Too worried I'll beat you?" provoked Alice, her eyes glinting dangerously.

"No, quite the opposite, I'm certain I would win." He replied confidently, pulling his face away as he led the dance on. Alice's face flushed, what he assumed was out of embarrassment. "You shouldn't make reckless challenges like that." He continued disapproval tarnishing his tone.

"Anything else I shouldn't be doing?" she asked loftily. Kurokiba raised his eyebrow ever so slightly. She inclined her head towards the buffet table where her mother, Hayama and Jun sat. A familiar uneasiness settled over Kurokiba as he caught on to her hint.

"I'm merely your aide, I have no say in your extracurricular activities nor does it concern me in anyway. As long as your cooking is not deteriorating I see no need to interfere." He spoke bluntly, convincing himself more than Alice that he did not care. He expected her to pout, slap him lightly and complain childishly as she always did in such circumstances. He expected their dance to naturally slow to a stop as they always had before he gave her away to another man to dance. They halted abruptly when he looked down at her expression.

"You're always so cold." She whispered, tears forming in her eyes. Kurokiba was shocked, unconsciously dropping his hand from her waist as she let her own slide down from his shoulder. A feeling of panic settled over him, similar to the only other time he had caused her to cry. The first Shokugeki he had won was far from an enjoyable experience, he remembered a snide comment on the tip of his tongue vanishing at the sight of her tears. A similar feeling of hopelessness hung over him now. Years ago he had vowed to never be the one to bring tears to her face it ashamed him that he had broken the silent promise so easily.

Alice roughly pushed him away, leaving him in the middle of the dance floor. Kurokiba stood still for a moment, taken aback. He watched her dress flow behind her as she ran away, he pointedly ignored the hushed whispers and blatant stares in their direction, quickly deciding it would be for the best to leave the ballroom.

…

Ryou-kuuun!" called a voice from behind. Kurokiba, took a breath to calm himself before turning.

"Milady." He acknowledged. Leonara smiled joyfully as she caught up to her daughter's aide. They stood in the hallway for a few moments, muted conversations and music that filtered through from the ballroom did little to make their silence less awkard.

"Tell me what happened." Instructed Leonara in Danish, any sign of previous superfluous persona banished. Kurokiba looked at Alice's mother straight in the eye, never one to back down.

"There isn't much to tell. You can see with your own eyes whatever I could tell you." Said Kurokiba levelly also reverting back to speaking Danish, a language they could discuss on even ground with. Leonara lips pursed, obviously not impressed with his answer.

"Yes, I can see all very well Alice is in a 'relationship' with Hayama-kun. What I would like to know is _why_ she doesn't appear to be happy with the situation she's put herself into." Said her mother sharply. Kurokiba stepped so he was properly facing the older woman.

"What makes you think I'd know why she's crying?" he exclaimed throwing up his arms in exasperation, more frustrated at himself than anything. Leonara sighed shaking her head in disappointment.

"How do you feel about her spending time with another man?" she asked gently. Kurokiba frowned as he loosened his tie, shuffling his feet uncomfortably.

"It's not really my place to say. She makes her own decisions, it's not like I can do anything to stop her. If she wants to go out with Hayama, there's no reason for me to get in her way." He uttered bitterly.

Alice's mother shook her head again, it was clear as day to her that both teenagers cared for one another it was simply frustrating that neither wanted to admit it to the other. She had thought talking to Ryou would clear things up, better understand their situation, whether or not this was simply another of their little disagreements. Which she still believed to be the most likely outcome. What confused her the most was why Hayama was involved in the entire mess? She could imagine her daughter using another man to fuel her aide's jealousy, but not with someone as level headed as Hayama. Apart from looking uncomfortable he didn't appear too angry or cold throughout the ordeal, so blackmail was definitely out of the picture. That left the possibility of the spice master actually housing feelings for her daughter… which only made the situation worse seeing as Alice was obviously not over Kyou yet.

"Don't leave it too late." She said tiredly, before turning back to her party, leaving the boy standing in the middle of the hallway staring at the carpeted floor. In some ways the two hadn't changed in the past years, both equally as stubborn, it simply saddened her that now it seemed more people were being dragged into their indecisions and complicated relationship.

…...

Hayama lay in the grass, absentmindedly smelling the cinnamon stick Jun had gifted to him many years ago. Truth be told the bark had lost its scent a while back, it was more a sentimental action that calmed him, reminding him of Jun and how she saved him. Usually it calmed him, watching the clouds float by, taking in the warmth of the sun allowing him to clear his head. Unfortunately it wasn't helping his current dilemma. Unlike tackling his school work, finding a solution a failed experiment or creating a new recipe dealing with Alice had no direction let alone a clear goal in mind.

"Akira-kun! There you are." called Jun from behind. Hayama, quickly propped himself on his elbows as she sat down beside him on the grassy hill. The two of them stayed like that for a while, Hayama lost track of time as he watched her easy smile, feeling calm once more.

"How's Alice?" she asked lightly, Hayama could tell she was trying to sound carefree but an uneasiness easily slipped through the cracks of her smile. Hayama was sick of it, the way she talked to him now, it excited him at first to see how much she cared, now it simply frustrated him. It annoyed him that he couldn't say anything to explain the truth of the situation but angered him even more that he didn't have to guts to tell her his feelings either. So here they sat, equally as uncomfortable and upset.

"Just as long as your happy." She said quietly to no one in particular. Hayama said nothing, letting himself slide down once more to lay on his back, shielding the sun from his eyes.

"You're still holding onto that." Noted Jun, gently tapping at the cinnamon stick in his hand.

"What if I told you this means more to me than Alice ever could?" He whispered quietly. A light breeze ruffled his hair and the grass enveloping the pair. His vision still obscured by his hands, too scared to see Jun, to see whether or not she heard his words, to view her reaction.

Their silence was crudely interrupted by Jun's blaring ring tone, the moment which may have never been unceremoniously broken. Hayama, lifted his hands, summoning the courage to look at Jun once more when he was certain finding the answer his heart was calling out to would no longer be answered.

"Sorry, I need to go! Those new seedlings we ordered have arrived at the nursery, I need to go pick them up before the store closes!" she pronounced, speaking rapidly. "I should be back after six!" she cried, standing up. Hayama nodded, saying nothing as she walked out of his obscured viewpoint from the ground.

Every minute Hayama spent with Jun strengthened his resolve. He loved her, he really did. Alice may have confused him with feelings of pity and maybe a touch of guilt. She confused him, with her layered personality and complicated emotions, but he was quite sure by now their current predicament was far from helping either of them.

Hayama reached his hand to the sky as a cloud passed over the sun, darkening the landscape. His palm outstretched as if trying to grab something just out of reach.

He needed to tell Alice it was time for them to stop their mock love.

 **Thanks for reading! I apologise for the lack of content / story progression in this chapter :O**

 **I suppose this is more of a filler chapter than anything else.**

 **If there're any other minor (or not so minor) characters you'd like to read about please tell me!**

 **Thanks again for reading and all your support, I feel so loved :)**

 **(Not sure if anyone else checks the traffic viewing graph spotting all of the views from various countries, but it's so exciting!)**


	4. Chapter 4

Alice awoke to a loud crashing noise, causing her doorframe to shake a little, accompanied by a string of muffled curses from down the hallway. The initial adrenaline from being shocked out of her slumber slowly subsided as her hand hazily fumbled around her desk to find her phone.

5:39am, she placed her phone down once more, staring up at her ceiling tinged grey by the not-quite-dawn morning light of late spring.

Groaning slightly she pushed off her bed sheets, groggily dragging herself out of bed. There was no point trying to get back to sleep, she usually got up at 6:30am anyway. Alice stumbled around her carpeted room as her feet searched for her slippers, absentmindedly donning a fluffy pink and white dressing gown as she prepared to leave the comfort of her room. She rubbed her eyes as she opened the door, blinking slightly at the glare of the hallway light.

"Yes, yes that's right. No! Not there over, here! I wanted to take this on carry-on luggage." Came her mother's bright voice from a few doorways down as she spoke in rapid Danish. Alice quietly shuffled her way over to her mother's room, peering around the doorframe. Leonara's room was littered with clothes, shoes, documents, cooking utensils and other gadgets alike; looking very much so as if she had thrown everything on the floor in an unpacking frenzy. Which was the opposite of the task at hand. Her assistant, Alvilda, looked much stressed as she forcefully stowed away clothes into an already quite full bag.

"Morning Mor!" she smiled in Danish, now thoroughly awake from the excitement and bright lights. "Are you already leaving for Europe?" asked Alice, "I thought you told me the plane was leaving tomorrow."

"Oh! Good morning darling!" greeted Leonara, only just noticing her daughter in the doorway. "Yes, I completely forgot I'd promised to attend a Gastronomy convention in Luxemburg!" she explained, her long white hair uncharacteristically messy.

"I told you last week Milady. I also asked you to start packing a few days ago" Commented Alvilda pushing up her glasses in frustration.

"It's so convenient that you're not a last minute packer as well Alvilda! I don't know what I'd do without your help!" cried Alice's mother, blithely ignoring her secretary's snide comment.

"Miss all of your appointments, become lost and develop a bad reputation." Muttered Alvilda under her breath. Alice caught her eye, smiling sympathetically. One of the reasons why she was so careful to be punctual was due to her mother's constant tardiness. Successful parenting through showing the outcomes of a bad example… also quite unintentional.

"I was thinking of coming to Europe over the summer break." Voiced Alice, using the wall to support her back as she crossed her arms to keep warm.

"Europe?! No, no, no that won't do! You must enjoy your youth in Japan with your friends! Go to the beach, meet more beautiful young men! I've already booked a holiday house in Chiba anyway, invite your boyfriend as well." cried her mother

"What? Did you plan things without asking me again!" accused Alice, huffing as her face puffed up.

"Milady, the car is waiting outside, we really need to get going." Reminded Alvilda, dragging two rather large suitcases which were bursting to the seams out the door.

"I've got to dash honey!" said her mother, planting a hasty kiss on her daughter's forehead. She paused, noticing Alice's downcast face. "I'm only a phone call away sweety. Remember, the perfect recipe to life is similar to the perfect dish, nice and simple. If you add to many ingredients or pile the plate too high, it only ends up as a mess!" she told her daughter looking pleased with herself for teaching life lessons with another food analogy.

Alice smiled weakly, "I'll be lonely without you Mor." Leonara sighed, placing a hand on her daughter's cheek.

"Don't be silly, you've got two handsome young men to take care of you!" she grinned cheekily, pinching Alice's cheek before picking up the remaining luggage and making her way out the door.

Alice remained leaning on the wall for a while, hearing voices from outside through the window, alongside the opening and closing of car doors. She stepped across the room to look down from the window, hearing the car motor start, waving goodbye to the vehicle as it drove down the drive way out of sight. She knew it was fickle and childish, but she couldn't help but feel a little lonely.

"She'll be back soon." Assured Ryou's voice from behind. Alice felt herself relax immediately in his presence. The tang of salt, sweat and fish rushed in with the cold draught from the open door. She turned to face her aide, and the closest person she had for a friend, wearing a wide grin.

"I know! I know!" she sang merrily. They had reached a mutual agreement to act as though nothing had ever happened, it was easier to ignore and move on from uncomfortable situations instead of trying to solve the underlying problems. Ryou simply grunted and turned to leave to take a shower. She checked her phone, time to get ready for the day.

…

Hayama groaned, rubbing his eyes restlessly. Yet another sleepless night. He had been tossing and turning for the past few days, trying to muster the courage and tell Jun his real feelings and explain his entire relationship with Alice was fake. A nagging thought in the back of his mind made him feel a little uneasy about telling Jun before consulting Alice… but then again it wasn't really like he was cheating on her, right? As long as he kept his side of the bargain, i.e. appearing like a couple in front of Kurokiba then there shouldn't be a problem…. He used this as an excuse to ignore the more concerning knowledge that Alice may persuade him not to confess or waver his resolve in loving Jun. He was trying as hard as possible to try _not_ to think about how Alice confused him… which only served to make the first goal even more unobtainable. Why was this such a mess? Part of him wished he never accepted Alice's deal… however his reasoning told him without her meddling nothing would have changed. He'd become greedy. A few months ago he would have been completely content with being Jun's research partner/ helper. Alice had changed him, he was no longer satisfied with their relationship. She showed him real lust and determination, she showed him how loving someone could change rational thinking. It was strange, as if by watching Alice struggle had made his own goal seem more tangible, obtainable. It seriously made no sense. Actually, it seemed like nothing ever made sense whenever Alice was involved.

The blaring tone from his alarm filled his room. Hayama violently stopped the noise, grabbing his phone and turning off the power instead of hitting snooze. Why was he so frustrated? He could feel the anger rising in his chest resulting from his annoyance from being annoyed. He threw off his covers in inexplicable rage, only to feel embarrassed as he got up to neatly make his bed, habit and slight OCD getting the better of him.

Today, I will tell Jun. He decided, repeating the words like a mantra in his head. He seriously couldn't go on living like this any longer.

…

Hayama calmed himself as he watered the plants. If only people were so easy to please. All these humble herbs asked for was nutritious soil, water and sunlight. Humans on the other hand… Hayama rubbed his temples, stay calm, stay calm, stay calm. It was best not to dwell upon the complications associated with a human's 'needs', not if he wanted to be in a collected frame of mind when confessing to Jun.

"CHEF DOUGIMA-SENPAI!" shrieked Jun's voice from bellow. Hayama, raised an eyebrow as he put down the watering can, walking to the edge of the greenhouse to peer below. What was all the commotion about?

"Shiomi-san, you don't have to be so formal I'm not longer your senpai!" laughed Gin Dougima heartily. Jun blushed profusely, pushing up her glasses nervously. Hayama felt his heart sink a little.

"Wh-what are you doing here?" she stammered, fiddling with her sun hat.

"I was asked by the academy to help organise the next event, just thought I'd drop by and say hello." He smiled. Hayama leaned closer to the slightly ajar window, straining slightly to hear their conversation a flight of stairs below.

"Y-yes, but why are you here?" she repeated, rather flustered. Every word, every nervous movement caused the strain in Hayama's chest to tighten.

"Do I need a specific reason to greet an old dorm mate?" chuckled Dougima, apparently entirely used to Jun acting to blatantly embarrassed and love stricken in front of him.

"No! No of course not!" she cried quickly, covering her face feeling ashamed at yet another spontaneous and loud outburst. A ring tone interrupted her nervous laughter.

"I'm sorry, you'll have to excuse me for a moment." Said Dougima apologetically as he pulled out his phone, he turned so his back faced Hayama after seeing Jun's slight nod, "Hello?" he spoke into the receiver.

Hayama slunk in the corner of the green-house, squatting as he held his head in his arms. He always had a sneaking suspicion Jun lit a candle for someone special. He had somehow convinced himself through wishful thinking that he'd managed to fill that empty hole… All previous bravado was completely wiped away with a single expression on Jun's face. She never looked at him like _that._ Hayama laughed to himself, it was such a joke. _He_ was such a joke.

"Sorry, I need to get going." Apologised Dougima once more.

"No, no, I've already wasted enough of your time already!" cried Jun, frantically waving her hands. Dougima smiled, reaching down to ruffle her hair slightly, to which she turned a violent shade of crimson. Dougima, snatched his hand away awkwardly.

"Sorry! Goodness where are my manners, I got caught up in the old times. It's a little patronising now that we're both adults." He laughed awkwardly, walking backwards towards his parked car. Jun shook her head as if to disagree, still extremely red. "I'll see you around then!" he called as he opened the car door. Jun nodded, waving goodbye in a daze.

Hayama covered his eyes, not wanting to see Jun's love sick expression a second longer. The image was already ingrained into his mind. Who was he kidding anyway? Her heart was never his to take.

 **Thanks for reading! Sorry for the late update. To be honest I was suffering from a little writer's block, omg it's only the fourth chapter. Authors who manage to write novels absolutely amaze me.  
Anyways! 'Mor' is like Mother in Danish… or at least that's what some totally legit translation website informed me. Don't ask what influenced me to include that into my story…. I question myself sometimes.**

 **I've been getting a few reviews asking after the main ship in this story. I really want to be sincere in saying that life isn't as simple as following pairings and nothing is ever definite when it comes to relationships (which is what I'm trying to achieve in my story)...**

 **BUT unfortunately that isn't the case and I actually haven't decided the whether this is a Ryou X Alice or Akira X Alice or even a Ryou X Akira hahaha add a little shounen ai (nah, I'm not that confident in my writing haha)  
**

 **So I apologise once more for my indecision and lack of planning for this story.**

 **We shall all be surprised with the outcome of pairings.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello dedicated readers, I apologise profusely for the extremely late update (I'm not dead quite yet)! I tried to make up for my incompetence for posting a longer chapter… (It's a little slow at the start… sorry… but I think it gets more exciting towards the end… haha (just skip the boring parts if you want))**

 **ANYWAY PLEASE ENJOY (Sorry for any typos or incomprehensible sentences… my proof reading is far from top notch)**

Jun frowned as she filled the watering can, Akira-kun had left helpful notes around the house such as the kitchen cupboard, door to the toilet, even inside the fridge reminding her of various tasks which needed to be completed every day.

She was mostly glad that he had taken a vacation to Chiba for the summer. While she would feel lonely (she had become accustomed to Akira's presence around the house) Jun also needed some time alone to sort out the mixed emotions she felt towards her adopted child. It irked her more than she was comfortable with that Alice could offer Akira so much more than she ever could. The Nakiri's were an extremely rich and influential family and whilst Alice may not be the 'God send' her cousin Erina, she was still something of a child prodigy. It was a little frustrating how perfect they all seemed. Reason told her that Alice must have worked extremely hard to get achieve her high standards of cooking, however she also had _much_ more money and state of the art equipment at her disposal than any normal student.

Jun gasped, realising the canister was now overflowing, hastily shutting the tap as she silently cursed herself for allowing her thoughts to distract her so much. She walked towards the sign 'WATER DAILY', credit to Akira, smiling slightly, she liked to think of the sign as a display of his meticulous organisation of the green house… not an indication of Jun's inability to remember the growing conditions for the various herbs or her scatter brain in general…

Alice was a confronting person. Every word she said, every action she took seemed to challenge others. At first Jun assumed this was simply the kind of effect Alice had on other people… now she wasn't so sure. She wasn't going to lie, when Alice announced she was in a relationship with Akira-kun it came as a big shock. What came as an even larger shock was the feelings of jealousy which surfaced at the news. Alice had exposed a new side to Jun, a side to herself she would have rather to have never met. Feeling any love towards Akira beyond familial was tabooed.

Jun had hoped her reunion with Dougima-senpai would clear up the emotions she secretly harboured for Akira-kun…. However it only served to confuse her even further. It made her question the emotions she had convinced herself were love… but was she simply being a naïve kouhai who adored and looked up to her kind senpai? Without any real romantic attachment? Jun adjusted her glasses, feeling restless. She hoped Akira-kun was enjoying his summer more than she.

…..

Hayama stared dully out the car window, he preferred to gaze at clouds in the sky rather than the road speeding past, as the latter always resulted in even worse motion sickness. He wasn't sure if his greater sense of smell attributed this, however the smell of car always seemed to make the entire ordeal much worse. He had come to the conclusion that his motion sickness must be somewhat psychological seeing as stale air had little to do with water imbalances in his inner ear. Regardless of the reason for his illness the result of it was undoubtedly feeding his bad mood.

"Come ooon! Let's play a car game!" cried Alice loudly to the car's inhabitants, as she jumped up and down excitedly in her seat. Alice had also invited her cousin Erina along with her personal aide Hisako for their 'super-fun-summer-getaway'. Hayama drooped slightly, covering his eyes as if he were sleeping. "You're not tricking me!" grinned Alice, speaking much closer to his ear than he felt comfortable. Hayama instinctively lifted his shoulder defensively, yet part of him wanted to breathe in the tantalising scent Alice's close contact brought.

"Alice! Put on your seat belt! How long has it been unclipped for?" exclaimed Hisako in horror, her eyes rapidly darting back and forth from the road and mirror reflecting the back of the car. She was trying very hard to remain as calm as possible whilst driving down a highway, feeling extra pressure with the knowledge of one of her passengers not taking proper safety precautions.

"But it's super uncomfortable." Complained Alice pouting. Kurokiba, sighed as he leant over to clip her seatbelt in place. Despite his seemingly aloof presence, he cared greatly for Alice's safety. Hayama couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy at how easy Kurokiba made contact with Alice. The young spice master had come to the conclusion that his autumn election competitor did in fact harbour feelings for Alice but was either too scared or uncertain to act upon them.

"Thankyou Kurokiba." Acknowledged Hisako, allowing herself to relax a little now that Erina's cousin was properly strapped in.

They continued to speed along the highway and after a while even Alice ran out of things to say or suggest various memory games to play on long car trips. Hayama continued to lean against the window, what used to be the pretence of sleep was gradually becoming reality. He felt slightly guilty for dozing off whilst Hisako diligently drove them to their beach destination, but reasoned that there was little he could do if he were awake. He was aware that he was slightly socially inept, luckily his lack of conversation initiation skills was put down to his 'serious persona', thus hiding his poor social skills.

Hayama awoke, feeling a little stiff he rotated his shoulders finally sitting up in his car seat. The first thing he noticed was the absence of Alice's presence beside him. He glanced over to his right to see her leaning comfortably on Ryou's shoulder, sleeping lightly. It irked him slightly that she decided to lean on Kurokiba instead of him. He then realised it was partly his own fault due to his decision of leaning as far away from his 'pretend-girlfriend' as possible. The third thought going through his head was dismay and confusion as to why he would even feel jealousy concerning Alice's leaning arrangements. He was supposed to be supporting her relationship with Kurokiba. Hayama stole another glance at the couple. Kurokiba wore a gentle expression he would never be seen wearing in public, Hayama couldn't help but feel as if he were intruding on something intimate and tried very hard to ignore the slight tug he felt in his chest.

…

The group finally reached their destination and were now faced with the tiring act of unpacking after a long journey. The only person who wasn't half asleep or yawning was Alice, who still bounced around, lively as ever apparently energised from her snooze in the car. Hayama came to the conclusion that waking up on Kurokiba's shoulder had a great deal to do with her elated mood. A fact which for some reason made him feel irritable, and the knowledge of this fact making him feel frustrated only added to his bad mood.

Hayama breathed in the fresh air, filling his lungs as deeply as possible. He turned away from the car, scanning the Nakiri residence in Chiba. It was almost ridiculous how perfectly located the beach house was, they were less than 100 meter away from the water. He also estimated a fifteen minute walk or five minute car drive to the small town, a sharp squeal snapped him out of his musings.

"Woah." Yelped Hisako, her voice causing Hayama to turn back to the car. Kurokiba had obviously stopped Erina's aide from falling backwards, a heavy suitcase now shared between their arms as he supported her. "Th-thanks." She said a little breathlessly.

"You shouldn't've tried to carry that." Stated Kurokiba, referring to the suitcase now awkwardly keeping him from letting her go, lest the bag fall- which was the entire reason Hisako was willing to fall instead of dropping the case.

"Yeah…" conceded Hisako, she looked a little tired Hayama deduced was a result from driving all day. She laughed nervously as the pair tried to untangle themselves from one another.

"Ryou-kun! Where are you?" Called Alice, stepping down the porch back to the car. Hayama noticed a flicker of alarm cross Alice's face as she took in the scene by the car. She obviously didn't approve of the pink blush tinging Hisako's cheeks.

"Hisako! I told you not to worry about taking out the equipment! We could've just asked one of the boys to help out!" exclaimed Erina also running down the steps from the house's porch to the car. Hayama tuned out the excited voices in preference of analysing Alice's reactions. She stared at the two a little longer before suddenly turning and striding back into the house. Hayama couldn't help but feel as if he should go after her and put her mind at ease… but he was also quite aware of the fact that he was a terrible comforter… and tried desperately to hide the darker thoughts wishing to keep Alice to himself.

…

…

Hayama's brain was frozen, he could barely keep up with the series of events let alone produce coherent thought to act upon them.

"I think you should be kissing me right now." Murmured Alice, her words slightly slurred. Hayama let out a very uncivilised squeak, feeling extremely trapped between the floorboards and Alice (who had somehow managed to straddle him) and trying very hard not to think about her body (bust in particular) pressed up against him. Alice breathed heavily, casting a not so pleasant smell of alcohol over his face. He wrinkled his nose out of reflex, silently thanking the stench for finally allowing him to take control.

"Let's take this a little more slowly." Said Hayama, pushing her off as gently as possible as he sat up. Alice pouted, her face more flushed than usual.

"What's your problem." She complained, pushing at his shoulder with more strength than he was expecting. Hayama stopped himself from falling backwards again by placing down a hand.

"You're drunk." He stated flatly. Alice's pout edged into a frown.

"Are you looking down on me?" She stated more than asked.

"You're not even 18 yet, the legal age is 20." Said Hayama, yes he did judge Alice for over drinking. It was a little bit of a shock when she came out with a box of beer, wine, sake and spirits. Erina was appalled at first and Hisako was a lot easier to persuade than Hayama had initially thought. She only reprimanded Alice for a few moments about how alcohol was bad for brain development before accepting a cup of sake. Kurokiba of course said nothing, but looked rather comfortable with a beer in his hand.

It was surprising how quickly everyone seemed to loosen up…or more became extremely giggly and sleepy. Hayama could've sworn it was at least 11:30pm and was completely shocked to read the time at 9:45pm. How did they all get so tipsy in an hour?

Anyway whatever the reason for their, quite frankly depressingly low alcohol tolerance, Hayama now found himself faced with a rather drunk Alice in the half lit light of the porch.

"Ya know, if this was Denmark. It'd be tootally legal." Frowned Alice, poking his chest to accentuate her point.

"Not hard liquor." Argued Hayama, eyeing her glass on gin and tonic… minus the tonic. Alice pouted again, following his line of sight.

"We ran out of tonic." She complained, as if it were a legitimate excuse to drink the spirit pure. Hayama's exasperated expression must have shown because Alice pushed the glass away, the liquid threatening to spill over from the harsh push. "Whatever just kiss me." She said again, more forcefully.

"No!" exclaimed Hayama, pulling back out of reflex as she inched closer again. Alice opened her mouth as if to argue again, but came to an abrupt stop instead. Hayama felt heat prickle up his spine in panic, noticing tears forming in her eyes.

"Am I really that repulsive?" she choked, sniffling loudly and wiping her eyes with the palm of her hand.

"Alice." Began Hayama, silently cursing himself for not reading her mood better.

"It's no wonder he doesn't look my way. I mean, we're supposed to be in this friends with benefits fake relationship and it's not enough to get your to touch me." She continued, her face now red from the alcohol and tears. Hayama could only sigh helplessly, feeling extremely guilty for his previous wishes for her to misunderstand the Hisako Kurokiba incident.

"I'm not making any moves _because_ you're my friend." Confessed Hayama, rubbing her arm to comfort her… he'd seen people do that on the tv dramas Jun liked to watch… Hayama silently begged it was normal.

Alice looked up, her face was a bit of a red blotchy mess with tears staining her cheeks and snot leaking from an inflamed nose. What would've made Hayama recoil a few months ago had somehow turned endearing.

"We're friends?" she asked in a small voice. Hayama looked at her incredulously.

"Isn't that what you've classified us since you asked Jun to take over our curry stall at the festival?" he exclaimed. Alice laughed, it sounded a little strange and muffled from her blocked nose but was still enough to loosen the knot which had settled over Hayama's chest.

"Yeah, but I didn't think it was reciprocated." She smiled, wiping her nose on the arm of her sleeve, an action which to Hayama's surprise didn't repulse him.

"Well, it definitely wasn't immediate." He admitted, confused as to why this seemingly small piece of information had managed to lighten her mood.

"I've never really had a friend." She said through a sigh, shifting herself, much to Hayama's relief, off his legs so she was no longer straddling him.

"What? No way." He said, refusing to believe it.

"It's true." Confirmed Alice, "I've never actually gone to school, we always had home tutoring… and when I finally did attend classes everyone was already in college. Who's going to make friends with a rich spoilt brat?" she asked rhetorically, with more bitterness than he'd ever heard in her tone. Hayama rolled his shoulders a little, feeling stiff from supporting both him and Alice, he shuffled backwards until his back rested against the wooden wall of the house.

"Well I've never really had a friend either." He admitted, "so let's start there before thinking about the benefits part." He said tiredly, he hadn't drunk nearly half as much as Alice, but still felt extremely sleepy. Alice smiled, and it wasn't one for show Hayama felt blessed with luck for not closing his eyes before seeing it. He felt her move to sit beside him this time not shying away as she leant against his shoulder. He felt his conscious slipping, a nagging thought in the back of his mind warned him that he'd have one hell of a back ache in the morning from sleeping in this position, but chose to ignore it and let the sounds of the waves licking the beach lull them to sleep.

…

 **OMG THANKS FOR READING. I apologise again for having such a late update :'(**

 **I'm planning on focussing the next chapter on Ryou and Alice SO DON'T WORRY THE SHIP HASN'T SUNK.**

 **(I'm still completely open for suggestions just so you know… I guess it's pretty obvious that I haven't created a grand plan for this story… (I completely fail as an author) )**

 **~~~Till next time~~~ \\(T . T)/**


	6. Chapter 6

Kurokiba stood on the edge of the waterline, letting the waves gently lap at his ankles. It was a little stuffy in the beach house and he felt like he needed the fresh air, not to mention trying to avoid watching an overly clingy Alice flirting with her boyfriend. Kurokiba spat into the ocean, even thinking the word left a bitter taste in his mouth. He was aware of the fact that he could be an angry drunk, something he definitely wasn't proud of, therein lies yet another reason he decided to take an evening stroll along the shores. He supposed that anger was simply a part of is nature. He was angry whenever he expressed himself, it was a reflection of how he grew up. Every dish was a battle, to prove his worth and beat any challenger into submission.

He heard a shriek from the beach house, but was immediately put to ease when a burst of laughter immediately followed. It wasn't Alice's voice, most likely a drunken accident from Erina or her Hisako.

Alice.

Kurokiba kicked the water in a sudden burst of rage, he anger subsided as quickly as it came leaving him feeling a little petulant and embarrassed. He stood still, letting the waves suck the sand from beneath his feet. He sighed heavily leaning back slightly to look up at the moon. He used not to feel any emotion towards it. He was hardly the poetic type and only regarded it as yet another object in the sky navigating sailors. The moon held a different meaning now. It reminded him of the autumn festival, reminded him of failure.

If Alice lacked the ability to put cravings above beauty, Kurokiba lacked the skill to cook with direction. Something Hayama was obviously more attuned to, Kurokiba wasn't going to lie, he was a little more than shocked when Alice announced their relationship. He'd remained as impassive as possible, any more emotion would have betrayed his misgivings. It wasn't his place to choose who she decided to date.

It angered him how easily Hayama made cooking look like an art-form. So subtle, so delicate, so sharp. Nothing like his own rampage in the kitchen. He hated how uncertain he felt about himself now. He'd prided himself in his rough past and how it had shaped him into who he was. But now?

Now he was uncertain and scared and he completely hated it. He was uncertain about whether or not his anger and compulsion to prove power and dominance should be the driving force in his cooking. He was scared that Hayama was a better match for Alice. Both chefs focussed on presentation and subtlety instead of his own style, overwhelming the senses and calling to the innate greediness of humans.

Kurokiba sighed once more, all emotional energy he had collected seemed to have been spent up in his single moment of rage. He had long since resigned himself to let Alice go. He was practise, simply a training dance partner, or culinary competitor… not an equal. How could he be with no distinguished family or wealth to speak of. A pub of a small fishing town in Denmark. He had nothing to offer. _He_ had nothing to offer either. So why him? Why Hayama? Kurokiba always assumed that Alice would be swept away by some rich influential distinguished individual in a marriage arranged by her family. He was fine with that, so long as she was happy with the man they had chosen. It was all in the future, years away when Alice would relinquish him of his duty to her, when they would part their separate ways.

Not now. Not when he could witness her forming a bond with another person, a relationship closer than their own. Not with another man, with no social standing, with no wealth. It was a punch in the gut. Kurokiba had decided they would never cross the line from that of aide and chef and that his position in society was the sole reason that such a step would never be considered.

Except now. Now it was clear. The line he had drawn in his mind separating Alice from him was no different to that of Alice and Hayama, and yet, she had pronounced the spice master as her boyfriend. Kurokiba had nothing to hide behind. No excuse of having the wrong blood, no excuse of being poor.

Alice did not see him in that light. He was an aide. A constant in her life that wouldn't change. Despite people's impressions of him, he wasn't a forceful person. Sure, he may have a temper if rubbed the wrong way, or feel the need to exert power in the kitchen… but he wasn't tenacious, he was willing to let go of things he knew were unobtainable. He wasn't short changing himself, he was being a realist.

Alice, Alice was one of those things, something unobtainable.

And if Hayama was an example of anything, he simply proved just how far away Alice was from him… that is wasn't his heritage, wasn't his lack of wealth keeping them from making one step closer… it was him… or her… regardless of who was at fault his suppressed feelings were unrequited… so he would continue to keep them at bay.

…

The sight which greeted Kurokiba as he reached the beach house almost completely negated the act of taking a stroll to clear his head. Not even a minute had passed since he promised not to let his feelings for Alice grow, and yet simply the act of seeing her leaning against Hayama's shoulder was enough to waver his resolve.

"Milady." He whispered, squeezing her shoulder slightly, not wanting to also wake Hayama in the process. Alice mumbled something non-intelligible, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Milady, you'll get sick if you sleep out here." He insisted, pulling her arms so that she no longer leaned against Hayama. The silver haired male stirred slightly, most likely missing the warmth of the body previously pressed against him.

Kurokiba, held a hand to the back of Alice's head as it began to loll, not wishing for her to wake up with an even worse neck ache. The action was enough to cause her eyes to open.

"Ryou-kun?" she mumbled, in a sleepy daze.

"Milady, you shouldn't be sleeping on the porch." Repeated Kurokiba now that she was awake.

"But I was with…" Alice trailed off before giggling giddily, "What's the matter Ryou-kun. You jealous?" she asked playfully. Kurokiba assessed the situation, gauging whether or not she was too intoxicated to withhold any memory of tonight.

"Yes." He replied truthfully. "Yes, I am." Alice beamed at his words, but the expression faded quickly into a saddened smile.

"I must be dreaming then." She sighed tiredly. The black haired chef paused, what was that supposed to mean?

"Seeing as this is a rather nice lucid dream." Continued Alice, with renewed cheek, "carry me inside." Kurokiba lifted an eyebrow in response, before readjusting himself so he could pick her up without dropping her.

"No, no not like that!" complained Alice, "Are you this thick in my dreams as well?" she asked rhetorically. "Carry me over the threshold, _bridal style._ " She said, as if it were the most obvious request.

"Yes, Milady." Sighed Kurokiba, as if it were an extreme inconvenience. Alice smiled triumphantly. It was what they did, Alice would request something of Kurokiba (more often than not ridiculous) and he would pretend to take no joy in carrying out the task.

In truth he wants to do things for her, no matter how foolish or insignificant it may be. Despite that, his pride wouldn't let him show any more emotion than that of an aide carrying out his duty. Because that's what was expected of him.

Alice snuggled against his chest as he lifted her from the floorboards of the porch, closing her eyes. Her pale skin almost luminescent in the pale light leaking from the house. He lingered for a little longer than necessary outside the door. Alice was a comfortable weight in his arms, it was easy to ignore the strain on his muscles by distracting himself with her steady breathing and body heat.

Kurokiba cast a sideways glance at Hayama as he turned to walk inside, tensing at the realisation of green eyes watching him from the floor. He returned the stare, red penetrating green challenging.

However the spice specialist didn't seem to hold a speck of dispute in his gaze. As if he were merely observing.

The black haired male threw a scowl at the other male before proceeding to carry Alice inside, Hayama making no moves to stop him quite literally taking her away. It angered him. How could he let Alice fraternise with someone so half-assed as to not utter a single word in refute at his actions?

As he walked away, he could've sworn he heard chuckling from outside.

…

 **Hi, sorry for the short chapter! I just felt like I had to get this out there, hopefully it was entertaining regardless.**

 **:)**


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